Getting ready for 'Get Your Grown-Ups Growing'

In just over a week's time we will be holding our 'Get Your Grown-Ups Growing' event as part of our participation in the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. A variety of preparations are underway in the Art and ICT departments for this .

During ICT lessons today pupils in 4a and 4b have created a series of posters to advertise the event. It's been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and creativity this event is already generating : and we're hoping for a large turnout of pupils, parents - and grandparents - on the day.

We have been extremely fortunate in securing the support of Coca Cola who will be supplying all 2012 bottles required to build our eco-greenhouse .



On the day there will also be a fast moving digital photography competition : with a new theme (and prizewinner!) each hour, a gift stall selling seeds, bulbs and plants, plus we're intending to create a 'Thought Tree' with leaves added by pupils as they write down the words and feelings that the day inspires in them. Pupils in L6a have been designing their own seed packets in Art and ICT lessons, having  studied the wonderful Vilmorin fine art prints. They will fill these packets with seeds which are suitable for sowing during the Spring months.

Week ten in our Potager Garden has seen the daily temperatures dropping. The nights are now chilly and the there has not been much sun on the beds during the day.

For these reasons we decided to keep the poly covers on the vegetable beds throughout the day to keep them warm and moist.

The senior classes have been drawing accurate sketches of our Bottle Greenhouse (the photograph shows the pencil sketch created by Harry Hesketh-Prichard in M6).

 The two models photographed here have been made from smoothie straws,  by a very large group of senior classes each making different panels in their lesson (3A, 3B, 4A , L6B, and M6).

The models, (12th scale and 8th scale), allow us to see exactly how the bottle panels will fit together. The straws have been used to replicate the positions of the bottles.


Next weekend we hope to be able to serve soup and rolls to those working during the Get Your Grown-Ups Growing day, and with a little luck we'll be able to make these rolls using salad from the vegetable garden. We're hopeful that our local Waitrose store in Esher will support us with the food and hot drinks on the day. 

On Thursday two huge bags containing 500 Coca-Cola bottles arrived in the Milbourne Lodge foyer. We just about managed to squeeze them upstairs into the Art room! We will need lots and lots of help on the day to prepare the bottles so please come along and join in.


Just time to mention Ben Thompson's gardening tip of the week for our young gardeners   Ben is part of the team at Garsons Farm in Esher - our local garden centre, garden shop and nursery. 

This week he says 'make your own compost - it's the ultimate in recycling'. You can read more about how to do it here -  Garsons Farm Composting